Timing assembly

ABSTRACT

The pinion gear of a motor meshes with a timing gear when a motor mounting plate upon which the motor is mounted is inserted into guideways of a gear mounting plate upon which the timing gear is mounted. A spring loaded ball assembly mounted on the motor plate bears on one of the guideways whereby teeth deployed on the motor plate mesh with teeth deployed on the gear plate.

finite Snyder et al.

tates atet TIMING ASSEMBLY [75] Inventors: Michael D. Snyder, Chenango Bridge; John G. Radice, Binghamton, both of NY.

[73] Assignee: The Singer Company, Binghamton,

[22] Filed: Aug. 10, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 279,507

[52] U.S. Cl. 74/397 [51] Int. Cl. F16h 35/06 [58] Field of Search 74/397, 325, 412 R, 421 R, 74/39 S [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,333,490 3/1920 Hines 74/397 X [111 aware? Primary ExaminerLeonard H. Gerin Attorney, Agent, or FirmLeonard Weiss; James C Kesterson [57] ABSTRACT The pinion gear of a motor meshes with a timing gear when a motor mounting plate upon which the motor is mounted is inserted into guideways of a gear mounting plate upon which the timing gear is mounted. A spring loaded ball assembly mounted on the motor plate bears on one of the guideways whereby teeth deployed on the motor plate mesh with teeth deployed on the gear plate.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEBHARIZBH sires; 10?

| FIG. 2 i i' TIMING ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION tating members always rotate at a constant speed. In

providing traffic control apparatus, however, it may be desirable to change the intervals during which the lamps are turned on and turned off in accordance with traffic patterns where the lamps are used. During a time when the traffic is expected to be at a peak, for example, the desired intervals may be different from the desired intervals when the traffic is at a minimum. In the aforementioned application, it may be desirable to provide apparatus which permits an operator having a low level of skill to alter the timing intervals of the signal lamps.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The principal object of the present invention is to provide a rotary timing apparatus where the speed of the rotation of a shaft may be easily changed.

According to the present invention, a plate upon which a motor with a pinion gear and a spring loaded ball are mounted may be inserted into guide-ways of a plate having a timing gear mounted thereon for causing the pinion and the timing gears to mesh; the motor plate has teeth on a side thereof adapted to mesh with teeth on one of the guideways, another guideway receives the spring loaded ball, when a pressure is applied thereto byan operator; when the pressure is removed the teeth mesh.

The present invention provides apparatus where the timing gear of a timing assembly may be rapidly changed.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in the light of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is an elevation view taken along the line 2 2 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a timing assembly is comprised of a gear mounting plate which has a gear shaft bushing 12 (FIG. 2) wherein a shaft may be journaled. A gear 14 (FIG. I) is axially mounted upon a shaft 16 which is journaled within the bushing 12, whereby the gear 14 may be rotated. Guidewuys 17, 18 and 19 of the plate 10 are adapted to receive a motor mounting plate 20 which has a motor 22 fixedly mounted upon a side 24 thereof. The shaft 23 (FIG. 2)

of the motor 22 is joumaled within a motor shaft bushing (not shown) in the plate 20 for rotation therein. Accordingly, the motor shaft 23 passes from the side 24 to a side 26 of the plate 20. A pinion gear 28 is axially mounted upon the shaft 23 on the side 26.

The plate 20 is inserted into the guideways 1'7 and 19 (FIG. 1) along lines 30, 32 in the direction of the arrow 34, and is supported by guideway 18 such that plates 10 and 20 are separated to prevent pinion gear 28 from rubbing against plate 10. When the plate 20 is inserted, the gears 14, 28 inter-mesh, whereby the gear 14 rotates at a speed proportional to the speed of the motor 22 and the respective numbers of teeth comprising the gears 14, 28; the greater the number of teeth in the gear 14, the lower the speed of rotation thereof.

Protruding from the face 26 of the plate 20 is the ball of a spring loaded ball assembly 36. Pressure on the ball of the assembly 36 compresses the spring associated therewith causing the ball to move within the assembly 36 to non-protruding position. A guideway 38 is attached to plate 10 or the guideway 17 for receiving the ball, and for working in conjunction with guideway 18 to support plate 20 and for maintaining separation between plates 10 and 20.

Protruding from the side 24 of the plate 20 and a side 40 of the guideway 17 are, respectively, a plurality of motor plate teeth 42 and a plurality of gear plate teeth 44 which are adapted to intermesh. When the plate 20 is inserted in the guideways l7 19, an operator applies pressure to the plate 20 to cause the ball of the assembly 36 to be depressed against the guideway 38 and thereby be non-protruding whereby teeth 42 are depressed below the teeth 44 and hence do not intermesh. Simultaneously with applying the pressure, the plate 20 is inserted in the direction indicated by the arrow 34 until the gears 14, 28 intermesh; thereafter the applied pressure may be removed causing the teeth 42 and 44 to intermesh. The guideways 17, 18, 19 and 38 in conjunction with the teeth 42 and 44 maintain the plate 20 in the position where the gears 14, 28 intermesh.

It should be understood that in the insertion of the plate 20, the distance of the insertion is in proportion to the diameter of the gear 14. Since the number of teeth of the gear 14 are proportional to its diameter, it follows that the larger the diameter, the slower the gear 14 is driven. Accordingly, the plate 10 has a slot 46 therethrough aligned along the direction of insertion. A scale 48 is aligned along the length of the slot 46. The scale 48 may be scribed or deployed on the plate 10 in any other suitable manner. A pointer 50, which may be viewed through the slot 46, is attached on the side 26 of the plate 20. When the plate 20 is inserted, the pointer 50 indicates on the scale 48 the distance of the insertion in the direction indicated by the arrow 34 thereby providing a direct indication of the size of the gear 14 (where the size of the pinion gear 28 is known) and indirectly providing an indication of the speed of the rotation of the gear 14 when driven by the pinion gear 28.

It should be understood that the plate 20 may be easily withdrawn from the guideways l7 and 19. Pressure is applied to cause the ball of the assembly 36 to be non-protruding and the plate 20 is moved opposite to the direction of the arrow 34.

Thus there has been shown a timing assembly wherein the timing gear may be changed after the easy removal of a motor plate from the guideways of a timing plate; the motor plate and timing plate may thereafter be easily assembled.

Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and omissions in the form and detail thereof may be made therein without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.

Having thus described a typical embodiment of our invention, that which we claim as new and desire to secure by letters patent of the United States is:

l. A timing gear assembly for providing a selection of different rotational speeds to an output shaft comprising:

a supporting structure;

timing motor means mounted on said supporting structure, said timing motor means including a drive gear;

a timing gear mounting structure including selected timing gear means adapted to mesh with said drive gear and provide a preselected rotational speed to an output shaft;

a receiving guideway mounted on said mounting structure and adapted for receiving said supporting structure whereby said drive gear and said timing gear means are positioned in an intermeshing relationship;

first positioning means disposed on said receiving guideway; and

second positioning means disposed on said supporting structure and adapted for intermeshing with said first positioning means such that said drive gear and said timing gear means are maintained in said intermeshing relationship.

2. The timing gear assembly of claim 1 and further including means for maintaining said first and second positioning means in an intermeshing relationship.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said means for maintaining said first and second positioning means in an intermeshing relationship comprise:

a spring-loaded ball assembly mounted upon said supporting structure, having a ball which protrudes from a side thereof; and

a bearing guideway mounted upon said mounting structure and adapted for receiving said ball.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said mounting structure has a slot therein, additionally comprising a pointer mounted on said supporting structure, said pointer being mounted to be viewed through said slot whereby an indication of position of said supporting structure with respect to said mounting structure is provided. 

1. A timing gear assembly for providing a selection of different rotational speeds to an output shaft comprising: a supporting structure; timing motor means mounted On said supporting structure, said timing motor means including a drive gear; a timing gear mounting structure including selected timing gear means adapted to mesh with said drive gear and provide a preselected rotational speed to an output shaft; a receiving guideway mounted on said mounting structure and adapted for receiving said supporting structure whereby said drive gear and said timing gear means are positioned in an intermeshing relationship; first positioning means disposed on said receiving guideway; and second positioning means disposed on said supporting structure and adapted for intermeshing with said first positioning means such that said drive gear and said timing gear means are maintained in said intermeshing relationship.
 2. The timing gear assembly of claim 1 and further including means for maintaining said first and second positioning means in an intermeshing relationship.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said means for maintaining said first and second positioning means in an intermeshing relationship comprise: a spring-loaded ball assembly mounted upon said supporting structure, having a ball which protrudes from a side thereof; and a bearing guideway mounted upon said mounting structure and adapted for receiving said ball.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said mounting structure has a slot therein, additionally comprising a pointer mounted on said supporting structure, said pointer being mounted to be viewed through said slot whereby an indication of position of said supporting structure with respect to said mounting structure is provided. 